I never had any acting heroes. I never really went to the theatre.

There is this idea that appealing to youth is the only way forward. But that is no longer the case. Youth is not everything. Now we have all the baby-boomers in their 60s, like me, who are actively engaged in life - we're not retiring, we're not just being put out to grass once we hit 60.

I was having my teens in my 30s.

I never wanted to become an actress because I'd read great literature or seen great Shakespeare. It was more just wanting to understand what the people were really like, why they said all the strange things they did.

Along the way I have been able to choose some themes which ask questions - not necessarily force a message on anyone, but at least invite the audience to question things: jury service, dignity in dying, Ireland - and not least because they force me to ask myself questions. Where do I stand?

I've never done so much bloody crying in my life. I was always moaning about how hard it was when we were shooting, how awful I felt.

It seems that when you get to a certain age you almost give yourself permission to misbehave and say what you think. People allow it, with very old people.